Day 2

Day 2 – Saturday 7 October

***Please note the conference agenda will be revised and updated.

Conference Day 2 OpeningCarole Pollard, RIAI President

Session:
Climate Change and the Impact for Architects and the Built Environment

What’s the Problem with Climate Change?Dr Patrick Bresnihan, Department of Geography, Trinity College DublinDespite the urgent warnings and catastrophic forecasts, climate change remains far removed from most people’s concerns and preoccupations. Worryingly, climate change has become like other ‘environmental’ problems: isolated from more immediate social concerns and thus rarely more than an afterthought. This presentation will discuss some of the reasons behind this distancing and how it may be combated with reference to the history of architectural design.

Dr Judit Kimpian, Director of Sustainable Architecture & Research at AHR.
With a background in design and virtual information modelling, Dr. Judit Kimpian leads collaborative research projects, including the RIBA|CIBSE platform CarbonBuzz, as well as building performance evaluations revealing the scale and causes of the gap between the expected and achieved energy performance of buildings. Judit chairs the Architects Council of Europe’s Sustainability Work Group and is a regular speaker at national and international conferences

A new Paradigm for Sustainable Architecture Practice and EducationDr. Sofie Pelsmakers, Architect, Environmental Designer and author of The Environmental Design Pocketbook
Sofie Pelsmaker’s presentation will draw on unique positions in practice and academia and will argue that evidence-based design and a focus on health-and well-being (instead of energy and CO2) alongside architects’ need for better energy literacy, will bring about the transformative change needed in approaches to architectural practice and architectural education. Building performance and delightful spaces and places are not mutually exclusive.

Professor Merritt Bucholz, Architect and Professor of Architecture at the School of Architecture University of Limerick, SAULMerritt Bucholz is founding Professor of Architecture at the School of Architecture University of Limerick (SAUL) and has been leading SAUL since its inception in 2005. In 2009 Merritt founded SAUL’s research arm, the Intelligence Unit (IU) through which the research agenda of the school is directed. Merritt qualified with a B.Arch Cornell University and a M.Arch, Princeton University, and is a Member of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland. Together with Karen McEvoy he practices architecture as part of Bucholz McEvoy Architects.

Session:
Building Regulations – Contradictions and Conundrums

Liam Ross, Architect and Lecturer in Architectural Design at Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA)Liam Ross will discuss the “side-effects” of Building Standards, including fire safety. Liam is an architect, a lecturer in Architectural Design and a doctoral candidate in Architecture by Design. He studied at the University of Edinburgh, and at the Architectural Association, London, before going on to practice in Edinburgh, London and New York. He is currently engaged in PhD research, supervised by Dr. Dorian Wiszniewski and Prof. Mark Dorrian, conducting a by-design study of the effects and side-effects of the Scottish Building Standards.

Fionnuala Rogerson, Architect, Fionnuala Rogerson Architects

Red TapeGary Mongey, Architect
Gary graduated in Architecture from Dublin Institute of Technology in 1995 after having previously studied civil engineering from 1988-1990. Since an early age, he has worked extensively as a carpenter under the opuses of his father who was a cabinetmaker on an array of projects that included design and build projects. This has led to a more practical approach and understanding of the building process. Gary’s talk will focus on the extensive ‘paperwork’ affecting architecture, discussing a project that shows “how mad it all has become”.

Nicki Cloonan, Architect and Director Coda Architects
Nicki Cloonan graduated from UCD in 1991 where she also completed a Masters Degree in Urban and Building Conservation. Before establishing Coda Architects, Nicki worked in private practice and for Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. Nicki is Director with responsibility for Conservation projects and both Domestic and Commercial interiors.

Ruth Morrow, Professor of Architecture and Director of Impact in the School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University BelfastRuth is Professor of Architecture and Director of Impact in the School of Natural and Built Environment. Research Areas are driven by an ethos that seeks to strengthen the connections between people and design and are currently focused on the interconnections and potentials between people, place, pedagogy and the socialisation of technology.

Meredith Bowles, Director of Mole Architects gives a perspective from a small practice working alongside others in the creation of larger work. Having worked with FCB Studios, Wilkinson Eyre, MVRDV and Peter Zumthor, this talk looks at the reality and richness of collaborative working

Grafton Architects and Grainne Shaffrey of Shaffery Associates will discuss their collaborative practice.

Fintan O’Toole, Winner of Orwell Prize for Journalism
Fintan O’Toole has been an op-ed columnist for the Irish Times since 1988. His column on political and social affairs appears every Tuesday. He also writes for the Culture Shock slot on Saturdays. A former literary editor of The Irish Times, he has written more than a dozen books; most recently he edited the book of the newspaper’s series Modern Ireland in 100 Objects. Awards include the AT Cross Award for Supreme Contribution to Irish Journalism.
Fintan O’Toole’s talk is supported by Kingscourt Country Manor Bricks